Critical habitat for sea turtles designated along N.C. coast

Published: Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 8:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 1:28 a.m.

The federal Fish and Wildlife Service has designated 96 miles of North Carolina coastline as critical habitat for nesting loggerhead turtles, a change that officials said should have little to no impact on recreational beach usage.

“This doesn't change protections or management requirements that are already in place,” said Lilibeth Serrano, a spokeswoman for the federal agency. “If a beach is currently open to tourists, that shouldn't change.”

The areas included in the critical habitat designation, which encompasses a total of 739 miles along the Eastern Seaboard, have the highest densities of loggerhead nests. In North Carolina, eight separate chunks of land – six in the Cape Fear region – were highlighted, containing the top 25 percent of the state's nesting areas.

In the Cape Fear region, those areas include Topsail Island, Lea-Hutaff Island, Pleasure Island, Bald Head Island, Oak Island and Holden Beach, encompassing a total of 68 miles of coastline.

Because sea turtles are already protected under the Endangered Species Act, the change should have minimal impact on beach access and activities on non-federal land. The exception, Serrano said, is when a project – such as beach nourishment or inlet dredging – requires federal money, permits or any other type of federal involvement.

“Say it's a municipal land that needs a permit for dredging or filling,” Serrano said. “The federal entity – in this case, the Army Corps of Engineers – would have to consult with us before issuing the permits. It's making safeguards at the federal level.”

But the designation does not affect federal beach nourishment projects that have already been approved or are under way, such as Carolina Beach's. Likewise, the provision should have negligible impacts on private landowners – an important distinction, as about 81 miles, or 84 percent, of the critical habitat in North Carolina is on privately owned coastline.

“If those private landowners were going to use federal funding, it would come into play, but that's fairly rare,” Serrano said. “If it were to be developed, then the safeguards would come into play. It tells the public and helps us focus conservation efforts in the most critical areas.”

Finally, the critical habitat designation shouldn't impair the efforts of volunteer sea turtle groups, who discover and protect nests during the reptiles' six-month nesting season. Officials with the Pleasure Island Sea Turtle Project said they took the provision as a largely positive move that could bring more attention to the plight of the endangered turtles.

“It's telling me that people recognize that these animals need protection,” said Nancy Busovne, the group's director. “Even if it's just a fancy title and nothing more, it gets people thinking. It gives me a little sense of peace that there's someone else looking out for these animals.”

<p>The federal Fish and Wildlife Service has designated 96 miles of North Carolina coastline as critical habitat for nesting loggerhead turtles, a change that officials said should have little to no impact on recreational beach usage.</p><p>“This doesn't change protections or management requirements that are already in place,” said Lilibeth Serrano, a spokeswoman for the federal agency. “If a beach is currently open to tourists, that shouldn't change.”</p><p>The areas included in the critical habitat designation, which encompasses a total of 739 miles along the Eastern Seaboard, have the highest densities of loggerhead nests. In North Carolina, eight separate chunks of land – six in the Cape Fear region – were highlighted, containing the top 25 percent of the state's nesting areas. </p><p>In the Cape Fear region, those areas include Topsail Island, Lea-Hutaff Island, Pleasure Island, Bald Head Island, Oak Island and Holden Beach, encompassing a total of 68 miles of coastline.</p><p>Because sea turtles are already protected under the Endangered Species Act, the change should have minimal impact on beach access and activities on non-federal land. The exception, Serrano said, is when a project – such as beach nourishment or inlet dredging – requires federal money, permits or any other type of federal involvement. </p><p>“Say it's a municipal land that needs a permit for dredging or filling,” Serrano said. “The federal entity – in this case, the Army Corps of Engineers – would have to consult with us before issuing the permits. It's making safeguards at the federal level.”</p><p>But the designation does not affect federal beach nourishment projects that have already been approved or are under way, such as Carolina Beach's. Likewise, the provision should have negligible impacts on private landowners – an important distinction, as about 81 miles, or 84 percent, of the critical habitat in North Carolina is on privately owned coastline.</p><p>“If those private landowners were going to use federal funding, it would come into play, but that's fairly rare,” Serrano said. “If it were to be developed, then the safeguards would come into play. It tells the public and helps us focus conservation efforts in the most critical areas.”</p><p>Finally, the critical habitat designation shouldn't impair the efforts of volunteer sea turtle groups, who discover and protect nests during the reptiles' six-month nesting season. Officials with the Pleasure Island Sea Turtle Project said they took the provision as a largely positive move that could bring more attention to the plight of the endangered turtles.</p><p>“It's telling me that people recognize that these animals need protection,” said Nancy Busovne, the group's director. “Even if it's just a fancy title and nothing more, it gets people thinking. It gives me a little sense of peace that there's someone else looking out for these animals.”</p><p><i></p><p>Kate Elizabeth Queram: 343-2217</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @kate_goes_bleu</i></p>